Margo's Bark

With all the T.V. shows about dogs and cute animals these days, it was only a matter of time before the root beer world got sucked into the mix.  With the purchase of Margo's Bark root beer, a portion of the proceeds go to help shelter dogs, so you can feel socially responsible while enjoying your brew.  But does it taste good enough to help these dogs find forever homes, or will they languish in the clink while their root beer goes to the dogs?

John:  Good scent, rich and spicy.  On the tongue is vanilla, cinnamon, and hint of clove.  This is a root beer with spice.  Unfortunately any complexity this root beer might otherwise have had is lost under a wash of too-sugary sweetness. The syrupy aftertaste lingers and is unpleasant.  Not awful, but I wouldn't drink it a second time.  ** Sorry, Rover.

FRED: A GOOD ROOT BEER BUT A BIT TOO SWEET AND SPICY.  **

FrosTop

What better way to ring in the holidays than with a delicious dram of FrosTop root beer!  Since 1926 these toppers have been brewing their delicious beverage.  But can they top our list?

John:  Wow, this is a strong brew.  Very strong anise.  Very strong nutmeg--moreso than other root beers.  And VERY strong clove flavor to add a little spice.  This is a bold, sweet, spicy beer!  There is nothing shy about this root beer, so I'm not shy about decorating it with our very acclaimed **** four star ranking.  Try it.

FRED:  VERY GOOD ROOT BEER. TOO STRONG FOR MY TASTE. ***

Reading Draft

Another old timer graces our blog today: Pennsylvania's Reading Draft Root Beer, all the way from 1921!  As we know from our daily research, older is not necessarily always better...  Let's find out about this.

John:  Nice nose, but rather syrupy and quite tart, with a metallic-like zing on the tastebuds, as if from sour berries or sour grape soda.  Unusual, not bad, just kinda weird.  ***

FRED:  REFRESHING MILD OLD STYLE ROOT BEER. VERY SLIGHT HINT OF LEMON FLAVOR ****

Lion Brewery

Today's brew comes to us from Northeast Pennsylvania's Lion Brewery.  Someone once told me that a lion is the king of the jungle...is he also the king of root beers?

John: Crisp, refreshing, a little watery, and with a hint of a flavor I might describe as "mapleberry."  Totally inoffensive. ***

FRED:  VERY GOOD SIMPLE THRIST QUENCHING ROOT BEER.  NOT OVERPOWERING. ****1/2

Gale's Root Beer

I've been waiting, waiting so patiently for over a year to review Gale's Root Beer.  The label's homemade look, her story about creating this root beer in honor of her dog, and the featured ingredients of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, are just so intriguing.  I hope, hope it lives up to my expectations.

John:  A sweet and delicious root beer, the strong spices of cinnamon and clove are this brew's hallmark.  I hardly taste the vanilla, and not the ginger at all, so she can leave that out of future batches.  Strong, rich stuff like thick black Moraccan coffee.  ****

FRED:  GOOD FLAVOR.  A BIT TOO SWEET.  ***

Goose Island

Today we try another craft brew from the Chicago brewing powerhouse of Goose Island. This root beer's reputation precedes it, and it's been sitting in the refrigerator for a long time--about 9 months.  Now is the time to find out what all the honking is about.

John:  Good right off the bat.  Crisp, cool, refreshing, sweet and strong.  Fizzes like a cold root beer float and the zesty vanilla sizzles on your tongue.  Good to sip or gulp down.  A top notch brew, worth seeking out.  ****

FRED: GOOD ROOT BEER. LITTLE DIFFERENT TASTES  REFRESHING AND SATISFYING.  ****

Tommyknocker

Tommyknockers were mean little elves who harrassed workers in the gold mines, according to Colorado superstition. In 1859 they got into the Root Beer business and this brew was born! These elves do things a little differently, brewing with such exotica as pure maple syrup and Tahitian vanilla extract. Can these little half-pints measure up?

JOHN: A strong nose of maple syrup is immediately apparent, which also lands on the tastebuds. A tangy, slightly fruity flavor mixes with the maple, which is not altogether pleasing. Only a hint of the Tahitian vanilla extract, but a mother lode of maple syrup aftertaste. It might taste better on Pancakes. **

FRED: DOES NOT TASTE LIKE A ROOT BEER. TOO MUCH VANILLA AND MAPLE SUGAR TASTE. *

Avery's

Well, well, well, a Connecticut Root-Beer has found its way into our court. Avery's seems to go for the "less-is-more" approach in their label. I like the label; will I like the root beer??

JOHN: Not unlike the label, there's a lot missing here. Quite watery, not sweet, just a hint of anise. The taste is pure, but elusive. Not much there, but what is there, is not objectionable. **

FRED: GOOD ROOT BEER. EASY TO DRINK. TOUCH OF ANISE. WEAK BUT REFRESHING. THE AFTERTASTE LINGERS THOUGH. **

Caruso's Robusto

The rising sun shines to celebrate our 60th root beer, a milestone for this blog. This is so exciting I can hardly stand it, so let's get right to the review of Caruso's Legacy Robusto Root Beer!

John: For a "robusto" root beer, this stuff is actually pretty mild. Not overly sweet, it is a smooth, dignified root beer, suitable for sipping while listening to a Verdi opera on a Saturday night. However, towards the end it starts to get a little flat and watery, and the aftertaste is syrupy and lingers. **

FRED: STRONG FLAVORFUL WITH MANY FLAVORS. NOT A FAVORITE. **

Langer's

We all know and love Langer's juice... but who knew they also made root beer? Well, this Los Angeles-based juice empire claims they also produce a "premium" root beer with "Madagascar Vanilla Extract" and "a touch of honey." And, like their juice, they use absolutely no artifical colors or flavors. This could be interesting.

John: A scent of fresh, robust vanilla cream wafts from the tasting glass, and a smooth, creamy, mildly exotic brew greets the palate. This one is both pleasantly sweet, and refreshing, an unusual combo. The nose is really, really pleasing; I could just sit here and sniff it all day. I won't lie, this bottle went fast, it was that good. After almost 60 root beers, it takes a winner to stand out above the crowd, and this one does. ****

FRED: SWEET AND SMOOTH BUT NOT OVERPOWERING. GOOD ROOT BEER FLAVOR ****

Myers Avenue Red Root Beer

Uh oh. Every once in a while something like this manages to sneak through. A renegade "root beer". This one offers an amber tinge and a nose of Tree Top apple juice.

John: Mild sweetness of cinnamon apple juice, a splash of echinecia, and a drop of alka-seltzer. Maybe it will help a cold. Not bad, but not root beer as we would like to understand it. **

FRED: WHY THIS IS CALLED ROOT BEER I DON'T KNOW. IT DOES NOT SMELL OR TASTE OF ROOT BEER. THEREFORE NO COMMENT.

Saranac Root Beer

1888. Quite a year. Jack the Ripper was mutilating his victims in London, Vincent van Gogh was mutilating himself in France, the "Great Blizzard of '88" left more than 400 people dead along the east coast, and the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C. In the midst of all this chaos, a brewery was founded in the foothills of the Adriondack mountains of New York. Today, Saranac (Iroquois for "cluster of stars") is a thriving beverage company that prides itself on all its beers...including root.

JOHN: Hits your palate with the flavor of a delicious vanilla ice cream soda. A gently frothy texture, and a pleasing, unobtrusive taste of vanilla and sassafras bark. It's been a while since we've enjoyed a root beer this good. No fancy ingredients on the label, and--get this-- they use high fructose corn syrup instead of pure cane sugar. Guess all that stuff doesn't really matter. ****

FRED: GOOD OLD FASHIONED ROOT BEER. GOOD FROTH AND GOOD SIMPLE TASTE ****

Squamscot

In 1863, while the Civil War was raging, and the 15th Regiment of New Hampshire was spilling their blood in the name of preserving the Union, Squamscot Beverages was founded in Newfields, NH. Still boasting their original recipe, Squamscot invites you to "experience the past...one sip at a time." So as we hoist our glass to the memories of the lost souls of the glorious 15th, we can share a taste in time, and know the same liquid refreshment as they did, all those years ago. But as their last breaths escaped them on the battlefield, did they whisper the name "Squamscot"?

John: Though the ingredients boast a dose of clove oil, that flavor is buried underneath what is yet another excessively sweet root beer. The sticky-sweetness coats your mouth and leaves a distinct sensation of sugar sticking to your teeth. The aftertaste is slightly bitter. **

FRED: HAS A TASTE LIKE DIET ROOT BEER. *

Empire

A simple label. An imposing name. Rhode Island's Empire root beer may be from the smallest state, but that doesn't mean it can't be tremendous in scope and massive in taste!

John: Nothing fancy here. No unusual flavors, no strong spice, no honey, mint, or vanilla. Just tastes like root beer--but an extremely sweet root beer. Not rich, just sweet. Sugary sweet. It's good, but you gotta have a sweet tooth. ***

FRED: GOOD BASIC ROOT BEER. TOO SWEET AND SYRUPY. LINGERING AFTERTASTE **

Bedford's

With a stately coat of arms adorning their label, Washington state's very own Bedford's Root Beer may be a root beer fit for a king!

John: It pours light with no froth whatsoever, and has a distinctive nose of blueberry syrup. A crisp zing of cherry juice dominates the flavor of this root beer, with a slightly acrid aftertaste. It's not bad, and certainly different from your run of the mill root beer, but somehow, just not good enough to join the 3-star club. The aftertaste is a bit sticky and lingers. **

FRED: VERY DIFFERENT FLAVOR. EXOTIC. NO FROTH. GUMMY. **

Maine Root Beer

The only root beer we've encountered so far to be labeled "Fair Trade Certified," and with a bare bones handcrafted ingredient list that reads: carbonated pure water, Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice, and spices, let's hope this hippie tonic strikes us as more than just "Fair."

John: A nice frothy head and robust nose leads to a spicy root beer with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. These Christmas-like spice cake flavors give way to a slightly medicinal sweetness and lingering aftertaste that taints the finish and knocks it from four stars down to three. ***

FRED: GOOD FROTHY ROOT BEER. SLIGHT MEDICINAL FLAVOR AND AFTERTASTE ***

Kutztown

Holy Moly! Founded in 1851 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this eponymously named soda company promises to deliver antebellum-era root beer taste in a 21st century bottle! Can't wait to try this stuff.

John: Dark on the pour and rich on the nose. This is not a sweet root beer, but one whose strengths lie in its spicy, minty, rooty characteristics. And there are many shades to this hue: one detects vibrant, fresh wintergreen, earthy sassafras root, bitter black licorice, and sweetly mild after-dinner mints. A surprisingly complex blend of these pointed flavors balances out into a complex taste profile--sharp on the attack, yet mellow and subtle on the tongue, leaving one the enjoyment of unwrapping its mysteries. Until I drink more, I just cannot reward this singular beverage with anything less than ****.

FRED: DARK RICH AND COMPLEX. NOT TOO PLEASANT AFTERTASTE. NOT TOO REFRESHING. ***

Pop Shoppe!

The first root beer to come to us from America's Hat, The Pop Shoppe is the crown jewel of Canadian soda pop companies. Dating from the 60s, this Burlington, Ontario pop maker has been satisfying thirsty Canucks for half a century. But will it do the same for us Yanks south of the border?

John: Frothy with a silky, smooth texture. Dry, with a subtle "vanilla mint" flavor that tastes a little like the melted leftovers of a bowl of ice cream. Crisp and refreshing like the northern wind through wild peppermint groves, with a pronounced--but not overdone--sweetness. Delicious and superb. *****

FRED: SIMPLE EXCELLENT REFRESHING ROOT BEER. *****

So Duh!

Here we have another modern root beer wrapped up in a gimmicky ad campaign. Proclaiming to be "soda with an attitude," So Duh! features a ditzy blonde on their bottle and the hip label of "Rockin' Root Beer." The ingredients feature cane sugar, natural vanilla, and the star of the show, "alfalfa honey," whatever that may be. But here, we judge on taste, not cuteness, so let's get going.

John: Wow, this is a bold root beer. That alfalfa honey is no joke: the sweet honey taste is prominent and adds a depth to the texture that murders the other honey root beers (e.g. Sprecher's, Point). Rich, creamy, thick in body, deep in flavor, and very sweet, this is a sumptuous, delightful root beer. The vanilla flavor is barely present, and no mints or herbs at all--honeycombs rule the day. The aftertaste is almost sweeter than the liquid, yet not unpleasant. I hate to hand out four star ratings to just anything, but So Duh! is definitely high quality. ****

FRED: A GOOD FLAVORFULL ROOT BEER. SLIGHTLY SWEET AND UNIQUE. ****

Point

I'll get right to the point and review the most recent root beer I've had the pleasure of sampling for this blog: Stevens Point Brewery Point Gourmet Root Beer. The founder and head brewer, Steven Point, can be seen sampling his creation here. It took a long time to create it, but a short time to name it, is how the slogan goes. Was the brew worth the wait?

John: This is a Wisconsin root beer, which--like Sprecher's--boasts a commanding prevelance of honey in the nose and body of the brew. In addition to the honey, Point has a mild caramel sweetness that does little to enhance the overall character. Three stars but I'll likely never drink it again. ***